Dateline: Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Jan 28 2022
Most of the finals were played today in Palm Beach Gardens at the ITF S700/USTA Level 2 Women’s tournament.
In the 40s, Maria Seidman beat Christen Bartelt 64 21 ret (leg injury) to win the singles. Kristen Charlton/Sue Kaleel won the 40 doubles round robin.
In the 50s, Susan Wright (64) won the singles over Alice Stubbs 64 61. Charlton/Kaleel also won the 50 doubles.
In the 60s, it was Groundhog Day for Fran Chandler and I…this was our third match in 8 months (after not having played for years) and each time the match went something like this…close first set which Fran wins 64, then I get a few games early in the 2nd then Fran uses her 2nd, third or 4th strategy (all of which involve zero errors, and fast moving feet) to win the second more decisively. Each match lasts just over two hours. I lost 64 62 in just over two hours. Vicki Buholz beat Terri Thyssen 63 61; I play Terri tomorrow for third. In doubles Susan and I beat Erin Boynton/Abbi Neuthaler 63 75. It was a typical senior women’s clay court match…there was only one hold in the second set (my serve, remarkably…but then Susan was at net blasting overheads…). It was also a two hour match.
Toni Novack was not staying out on the court for two hours…possibly she was there for an hour, using her combination of deadly drop shots (or the threat of them) and deep ground strokes to beat Sue Bramlette. Bramlette though came away with the doubles title, combining with Cindy Babb to beat Peg Machoian/Joan Oelschlager in what appeared to be a fun match.
Frances Dickenson easily won the 80 singles.

NOT MOVING FAST FOR AN 88 YEAR OLD, BUT I HAD WONDERFUL WORKOUTS AND WON $50 TO BOOT!!
TRISH FAULKNER RAN A GREAT TOURNAMENT.
LAURIE LEACH
NEW ENGLAND